Up to which age a healthy woman can conceive? If my wife gets pregnant after 38 and what are the complications at that age?

A woman can conceive while she is having periods and ovulating-theoretically into her late 40s, though natural fertility reduces year on year so conception is rare beyond 45. The main complication is that the risk of a baby having Down's syndrome increases steeply after about 37. There are other complications that may occur too-as high blood pressure, diabetes and deep vein thromboses (DVTs) are more common the older you get. But it's not all gloom by any means-many women do conceive and have perfectly healthy pregancies in their late 30s and early 40s.

How likely is it that my baby will have Down''s syndrome?

The risk of having a baby with Down''s syndrome is related to your age, although parents of any age can have a Down''s child. It is not related to how many children you have had, whether you have a new partner, or to drugs that you might have taken at or around the time of conception.